Daily Yellowstone journal., 1887-01-06
EAST AFRICAN DRUGS.
VEGETABLE PolsoNS USED FOR
AMOUNTING SPEARS AND ARROWS.

= Runuing Plant whose Active Prin-
sapis !. similar to strychnips-ihe
.Foi.oa Tree"-Narcotic Indulgence
Csaansd to Tobacco.
OF curative drugs the east African
nanifests but little knowledge. Near
Lake Ugombo small wild aloe, when
Che green skin has been peeled off, forms
IN ice cold and healing application to
burns; and in the neighborhood OF Dar-
es-Salaam a highly aromatic plant, with
hairy purple stalks, called arcaza-
mudi, Is reputed good native cure for
pains in the stomach. The Somalis oc-
casionally eat the 10 al variety Of dragons
blood, a resin OF acidulous flavor obtained
from the moli tree fDrac, oena schizanthal.
Hetween Zanzibar and r-es-Salaam oc-
eurs a creeper with bean like, hairy, s
shaped pods having severe stinging pow
ers: 10 is about four inches long. Of yell
1oGish brown color, and is called upupu.
The pain yields to cowdung and wood
ashes. In the same region broad bladed
grass called mwanga mwitu enjoys some
fame as styptic.
". ARROW PoIsoNs.
ATFOW pnfStHS COfIlt nlOft pTNIill-
nently within the range Of native study,
and most tribes use some description OF
vegetable poison for amounting their
spears and AFRO VS.. The most important
Is a species OF Strophanthus, either 5.
hjSpdus or s. kombe, which will proha-
bly, prove to be the sole source Of this class
.of poison used on the eastern coast, from
Zanzibar 10 Somali land, and even far into
the interior. The plant is runner, bear
fng large. rough ribbed leaves arranged
IN clusters of three or four together.
Each shoot consists of three branches Of
which one bears the seed and the other
two the leaves. The flower is yellow,
with curiously tailed petals. The seed
has the form OF q huge military frog
button, with lobes nine inches long, and is
the direct source Of the poison, This. ac-
cording 10 st. Vincent Erskine, is called
umtsuli in GAIA or southern Mozambique,
and is so energetic that men wounded by
arrows in the fieshy pat OF the leg have
been known 10 die within thr"c hours,
and with small bucks the poison takes
effect before they can run out OF sight.
He likens the active principle TO strych-
nine.
These facts quite accord with the de-
scription given by r W. Felkin and A. W.
Gerard of the poison used by the Wanlka
and Wakamba tribes, west OF Mombasia,
except that several roots are supposed to
contribute TO the deadly effect. These
anfhors mention an antidote composed OF
sundry roots reduced TO charcoal. which,
however, proved failnre on trial. Care
ful investigation OF the umtsuli reveals
the fact that 10 II powerful cardiac
poison. rs powerful as digitalin and more
powerful than veratria when infected
under the skin. But II causes only
nauTea, vomiting and some weakness
when taken by the mouth.
THE "PoIsoS TREE"
The flesh Of animals killed by this
poison Is eaten by the blacks without Ill
effects. Probably identical with this is
The "poison tree. /" from the roots of which
the natives Of Somnli land extract n black
and pitchv substance for poisoning iheir
arro'~s. PerhHns. also. the pli"h Ike
poison obtained from the boiled down
bark Of tree used on the Rufji river for
application 10 arrows. lances and even
bullets, and the muavi or poisonous de-
coction of the bark Of a tree emploved in
The trial by ordeal Of the natives of the
Nyassa and Zambesi valley, is the same
article under another Grise.
Indulgence in narcotics appears 70 he
confined to tobacco. which Is very com
monlv grown under cultivation IL isa
special product Of the Handel district.
whence considerable quantities Of the sun
dried leaf, beaten into little round fat
cakes about two inches in diameter, are
sent down 10 Pangani for export
The tobncco is coarse and strong hut of
fairly good flavor. The KiswHh'li use
water pipes Ckiko' made Of gourds Of vari-
Gus shapes. They swallow the fumes in
smoking and seem to enjoy the paroxysm
Of coughing which results.-Jourual
Society OF Arts.